If you think about it, being a U.S. senator is basically a temp job where you are constantly up for performance review. Hopefully they will keep that in mind as they weigh a bill that would make it easier for gig economy workers to get health insurance, retirement benefits, workers’ comp, and more. The new bill, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and in the House by Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) on Thursday, would set aside $20 million for a Labor Department grant program to help nonprofits and local governments innovate in their ability to offer employment benefits to Lyft drivers, Task Rabbiters, Etsy sellers, and other gig economy workers, mirroring efforts in states like Washington, New York, and New Jersey.

“We need to support innovative policies that address the rapidly changing workforce to ensure we have an economy that works for everyone,” Congresswoman DelBene said in a statement about the bill. “Whether you make a living through mobile car services or by selling crafts online, workers deserve access to benefits.” It’s an important move that could help a growing number of American workers. New data by Intuit and Emergent Research shows that 9.2 million Americans are expected to be working in the gig economy by 2021, up from 3.8 million last year.ML